Launching and release means for airborne toys



s- 20, 1968 A. H. BOESE 3,397,481

LAUNCHING AND RELEASE MEANS FOR AIRBORNE TOYS Filed Oct. 24, 1965 iiiiii"," 1'.

INVENTCR. ARTHUR H. BOESE United States Patent 3,397,481 LAUNCHING AND RELEASE MEANS FOR AIRBORNE TOYS Arthur H. Boese, Oklahoma City, Okla., assignor to Novel Ideas Incorporated, Oklahoma City, Okla., a corporation of Oklahoma Filed Oct. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 504,588 4 Claims. (CI. 46-86) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A longitudinally divided hollow toy rocket-shaped body, having tail fins, has its respective body halves hingedly connected at one side and normally 'biased to an open position. A toy parachute is connected with and contained by the hollow body for lowering the latter through the atmosphere. Apertures, formed in the tail end of the body, slidably receive a cord which frictionally holds the body halves closed during launching and upward flight and permits the body halves to open and release the parachute near the upper limit of the rockets flight.

The present invention relates to toys and more particularly to a toy rocket.

This application is an improvement over my Reissue Patent No. Re. 25,734, dated Feb. 23, 1965, for Time Delay Action and Release for Airborne Toys.

The above referred to patent is limited by the manner of hingedly connecting the halves of the longitudinally divided rocket and the mode of operation of the time delay release means.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a hollow rocket shaped toy body which is longitudinally divided to form two halves hingedly connected longitudinally and provided with a launching and time delay release means. I

Another object is to provide a toy of this class in which the time delay release means is connected with one body half and slidably engaged frictionally with the other body half wherein air resistance to the release means and the velocity of the rocket during its ascent delays opening of the rocket.

Another object is to provide a toy rocket having a .parachute connected therewith for lowering the rocket through the atmosphere.

Still another object is to provide a toy rocket wherein the parachute is folded and contained by the rocket and acts as a means to pivot the rocket halves apart to release the parachute at the limit of its ascent.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by providing an elongated rocket shaped longitudinally divided hollow body having one or more tail fins at one end and provided with elongated flexible time delay release means for launching the rocket and maintaining the rocket halves together during its ascent.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanyiug single sheet of drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the rocket during its ascent;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the rocket during its descent illustrating a fragment of the supporting parachute; and,

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 1.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral indicates the rocket, as a 3,397,481 Patented Aug. 20, 1968 whole, having an elongated cylindrical central portion 12 characterized by forward and rearward arcuate converging end portions 14 and 16, respectively. The forward end portion 14 terminates in a blunt nose end 18 and similarly the rearward end 16 terminates in a blunt aft or tail end 20. The rocket 10 is longitudinally divided, as at 22, to form two sections or halves 24 and 26, which are each hollowed out thus forming a hollow interior and defining a relatively thick wall for the rocket body. The rocket halves 24 and 26 are longitudinally connected by hinge means 28. The inner surface of adjacent edge portions of the rocket halves 24 and 26 are cooperatingly beveled, as at 27 (FIG. 3), thus forming a relatively thin wall edge for each of the rocket halves throughout the length of the cylindrical portion 12. The hinge means 28 is shown as two layers of fabric secured to the respective inner and outer wall surface of the adjacent abutted thin edges of the two halves. The fabric layers are longitudinally stitched together, as at 30, to form a pivot axis for the hinge 28. The fabric hinge 28 normally tends to bias the rocket halves to an opened position. Other types of hinge means may be used if desired.

Fins 32 and 34 longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the rocket are connected to the rearward end portion 16 of the rocket halves 24 and 26, respectively. The fins are preferably relatively thin and are shown lying in the same plane diametrically opposite each other. Each of the fins have an arcuate forward edge 35 and the opposing side edges of the fins converge rearwardly of the tail end 20 and terminate in blunt end portions. Obviously the fins may be placed in other positions if desired.

The body half 24 is provided with an aperture 36 positioned within its arcuate end portion 16 adjacent the juncture of the body half 24 with the body half 26 opposite their hingedly connected side. Similarly the body half 26 is provided with an aperture 38 spaced rearwardly of the position of the aperture 36. An elongated flexible member, such as a string-like strand or cord 40, is inserted into the body through the aperture 36 and out through the aperture 38. A knot or other means of securing the cord 40 to the body half 24 is formed in the end of the cord outwardly of the body half 24. The cord is substantially smaller than the aperture 38 so that it will easily slide therethrough as more fully explained hereinbelow. The cord is relatively long when compared to the length of the rocket 10, for example, approximately four times the length of the rocket for the reasons which will be readily apparent.

A parachute 42, formed of relatively thin fabric material, is connected to the interior of the rocket halves 24 and 26 by a plurality of shroud lines 44 connected at their other ends to metallic eye screws 46, or the like, in turn connected to the inner surface body halves 24 and 26 rearwardly of the hinge means 28.

In operation the parachute 42 is folded with the shroud lines 44 and placed within the hollow interior of the rocket. The rocket halves are pivoted to a closed position and manually held closed against the resilience of the hinge means 28 and the folded parachute 42 by one hand of the operator. The free end of the cord 40 is grasped by the other hand and extended tautly rearwardly of the rocket wherein the pull or tension on the cord tends to hold the rocket halves together. The rocket is launched by being swung in a twirling motion, describing a circle, 'by the operator holding the free end of the cord 40. The cord is released during such twirling action so that the rocket will be launched in an upward direction. The resistance or drag of air on the free end portion of the cord and its frictional resistance with the parachute to the inner surface of the rocket pivots the rocket halves apart by a sliding action of a length of the cord through the aperture 38 so that the parachute is released which then opens and gradually'lowers the rocket, with the blunt nose end 18 downward, to the surface of the earth.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A toy rocket, comprising: a hollow body having a head and a tail end, said body 'being divided; hinge means hingedly connecting said' body halves together and biasing the body halves to open position, one said body half having an aperture in its Wall opposite its hingedly connected side; a stabilizing fin connected with one section of said body adjacent the tail end thereof; and flexible time delay release means comprising an elongated member connected at one end with one of said body halves opposite its hingedly connected side and extending through said aperture and frictionally engaged slidably intermediate its ends with the wall forming the aperture in said one body half, whereby said body halves are maintained in a closed position by frictional resistance between said elongated member and the wall forming the aperture in said one body half in response to air frictional resistance against said elongated member during generally upward flight of the rocket and whereby said body halves are hingedly biased to an open position in a sliding action of said elongated member through the aperture when air frictional resistance against said elongated member is reduced.

2. A toy rocket, including: a hollow body having a head end and a tail end, said body being longitudinally divided to form two sections, one said section having an aperture in its wall adjacent its tail end; hinge means longitudinally connecting said sections together at one side and biasing the opposite sides to open position; and flexible time delay means comprising an elongated strand connected at one end to one said section, a portion of the other end portion of said strand extending through the aperture in said one section, whereby said sections are maintained in a closed position by frictional resistance between said strand and the wall forming the aperture in response to air frictional resistance against said strand during a generally upward flight of the rocket and in "a sliding action of said strand through the aperture when the air frictional resistance against said strand is reduced.

3. A toy rocket, including: a hollow body having a head end and a tail end, said body being longitudinally divided to form two sections, one said section having an aperture in its wall adjacent its tail end; hinge means longitudinally connecting said sections together at one side and biasing the opposite sides to open position; a stabilizing fin connected with at least one section of said 'body adjacent its tail end; and flexible time delay means comprising an elongated strand connected at one end to one said section, a portion of the other end portion of saidstrand extending through the aperture in said one section, whereby said sections are maintained in a closed position by frictional resistance between said strand and the wall forming the aperture in response to air frictional resistance against said strand during a generally upward flight of the rocket and whereby said sections are hingedly biased to an open position in a sliding action of said strand through the aperture when the air frictional resistance against said strand is reduced.

4. A toy rocket, including: a hollow body having a head end and a tail end, said body being longitudinally divided to form two sections, each said section having an aperture in its wall adjacent its tail end; hinge means longitudinally connecting said sections together at one ,side and biasing the opposite sides to open position; a stabilizing fin connected with at least one section of said body adjacent its tail end; and flexible time delay means comprising an elongated strand connected at one end to one said section, a portion of the other end portion of said strand extending through the apertures in said sections and rearwardly of said tail end, whereby said sections are maintained in a closed position by frictional resistance between'said strand and the wall forming the aperture in one said section in response to air frictional resistance against said strand during a generally upward flight of the rocket and whereby said sections are hingedly biased to an open position in a sliding action of said strand through the aperture in said one section when air frictional resistance against said strand is reduced by a reduction of the velocity of the rocket.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,006,109 10/1961 Boese 46-74 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner. C. R. WENTZEL, Assistant Examiner. 

